The historic Spalding Building in downtown Portland has what might be the coolest indoor bike parking in the city. Tenants of the 12-floor office building get to roll their commute vehicles into what used to be a bank vault that’s capped by an immense 16,000 pound door. Check it out…

Thick!

From the inside.

Given its size and heft, the door doesn’t actually close; but still, this is a very nicely executed end-of-trip facility.

I got a tour of the bike parking yesterday from Tom Kilbane with Urban Renaissance Group (they manage the building). Kilbane says the new owners are taking great care with the improvements because they see the building as a long-term investment to pass down to their children.

There are three former vaults in the building, two of them are used for bike parking. In addition to the imposing doors and two-foot thick walls, the bike parking vaults are monitored by video cameras. Also for its bike-riding tenants, the building also boasts lockers and large, private bathrooms and showers.

Built in 1911, the Spalding (319 SW Washington) is on the National Register of Historic Places and was formerly the Oregon Bank Building. The current renovation was done by Hennebery Eddy Architects.

It’s great to see such a classy building and high-end renovation give bicycle parking the prominence and attention it deserves.

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The same thing is going on at the old Federal Reserve building. Jive has their employees’ bikes housed in what used to be the gun range. The architecture firms’ employees park in what used to be the Federal Reserve vault (with a much bigger door – also permanently fixed).

As a messenger, I found this vault to be open to the adventurous for many years. The floor was empty and unlocked. Have had lunch and happy hour in it many, many times.Good times with Pappa Spence. We used to sit at the windows in that office and watch it rain while working too.

I’ve worked in several buildings that had old unused vaults. They are prohibitively expensive to remove, and so they typically end up being used as storage space. I am not sure how brilliant this is, but I agree it is practical.

I don’t see how this project will “give bicycle parking the prominence and attention it deserves.” They took a space that can’t be used for an office, conference room etc. and mounted some bike racks.

Cool pictures though, and hooray for another building with good bicycle facilities.